The Blue Ridge Yellow Jackets will head out to face off against the Thatcher Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Blue Ridge has given up an average of 9.1 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Blue Ridge is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Winslow with a sharp 20-13 win on Tuesday. The victory continues a trend for the Yellow Jackets in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won four in a row.
Brody Ellsworth
| 03/24/26 @ Winslow | 5 |
| 03/17/26 @ Monument Valley | 4 |
| 03/20/26 vs St. Johns | 3 |
| 03/03/26 vs Window Rock | 3 |
| 03/20/26 vs Holbrook | 2 |
| + 6 more games |
Brody Ellsworth was incredible, getting on base in all six of his plate appearances with four stolen bases, five runs, and one triple. He is becoming a predictor of Blue Ridge's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 1-8 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Brenton Newcomb, who got on base in five of his six plate appearances with four RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base.
Blue Ridge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .642. They are 5-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Thatcher didn't have quite enough to beat Pusch Ridge Christian Academy on Tuesday and fell 4-3. The Eagles have struggled against the Lions recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Thatcher saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Erik Ebert, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI. Dylan Rynie also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Blue Ridge's win bumped their record up to 7-8. As for Thatcher, their loss dropped their record down to 3-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Blue Ridge has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Thatcher struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Blue Ridge was able to grind out a solid victory over Thatcher in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, winning 10-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Yellow Jackets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
